The instant invention relates to semi-liquid, i.e. false body, fluid abrasive scouring compositions. The false body properties are realized by preparing a false body fluid phase from an aqueous liquid and an appropriate colloid-forming agent such as clay. Abrasive scouring materials are then suspended throughout the false body phase and relatively light filler material is added to minimize phase separation of the false body compositions.
Abrasive, hard surface cleansers in a liquid or semi-liquid form provide a convenient and useful means for carrying out ordinary household cleaning. Formulation of abrasive-containing fluid compositions, however, presents problems by virtue of the difficulty in uniformly suspending or dispersing the relatively high density abrasive material throughout a fluid scouring composition. Attempts to solve the abrasive distribution problem have been made in the prior art through utilization of a wide variety of thickening or suspending agents in liquid or semi-liquid abrasive-containing compositions.
Abrasive suspended in or distributed throughout a thickened liquid cleansing composition, however, promote phase separation within the fluid product by exerting a downward force on the thickened or colloidal fluid structure used to support and suspend the abrasive material. This action tends to "squeeze" liquid from the thickened fluid structure thereby forming a clear liquid layer at the top of the container holding the abrasive cleaning product. This problem is aggravated when such compositions must stand without agitation for prolonged periods of time during shipping and storage. This problem is also aggravated if the scouring compositions contain such chemically active ingredients as bleaches and/or surfactants which tend to degrade and render less effective the suspending agents for the abrasive material.
Although the tendency of fluid, abrasive-containing compositions to separate and form an undesirable liquid layer can be minimized by selection of particular composition ingredients (See, for example, McClain et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,922, issued Dec. 28, 1971; Cambre, U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,990, issued Nov. 30, 1971; and U.S. Pat. application of William L. Hartman having Ser. No. 415,033, filed Nov. 12, 1973 and the concurrently filed U.S. Pat. application of William L, Hartman, having Ser. No. 504,217, filed Sept. 9, 1974; there is a continuing need for fluid abrasive compositions able to withstand lengthy storage of shipping periods without undergoing an undesirable separation of fluid phases.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide homogenous, fluid, abrasive-containing scouring compositions having reduced tendency to form a liquid layer at the top of a container holding such compositions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an abrasive scouring composition which can contain chemically active bleaching and surfactant materials without adversely affecting the abrasive suspending capability or phase stability of such compositions.
It has been surprisingly discovered that by utilizing abrasive and particulate filler material having very particular physical characteristics in certain false body fluid scouring compositions, the above objectives can be accomplished and abrasive hard surface cleansing products can be formulated which are unexpectedly superior to similar compositions of the prior art.